It's Not Over
by luvuni
Summary: Ichigo has been isolated from the Soul Society, and it is eating away at him. But what happens when something unexpected happens that could re-unite him with the Soul Reapers and the one person he has missed the most? Novice writer who doesn't know a lot about Bleach, and maybe a tad OOC. You have been warned. IchigoxRenji
1. Accidental

**WARNING:**

 **\- Renji X Ichigo, you have been warned.**

 **\- Potentially OOC as I stink at writing personalities that match characters**

 **\- I have only watched 1/3 of the Bleach episodes, so I will be missing information, or some stuff will be WRONG. BEAR WITH ME PLEASE and NO FLAMING!**

 **Thank You so Much and ENJOY!**

"Time passes ever so slowly now-a-days," Ichigo mumbled to himself as he walked through the streets of Karakura town. He had graduated a while back, and while his friends had all left for better and bigger things, Ichigo was stuck in this town searching for something. A part of him felt empty, incomplete, and he had a suspicion that it had something to do with the Soul Society.

A lot of his friends, both Soul Reapers and his human friends alike, had petitioned Yamamoto to allow him to go to the Seireitei to complete his training as Soul Reaper. They thought they had a good chance, what with many of the captains also signing on for all of the things Ichigo had done for them since he met them several years ago. Yet, the old man had shaken his head and said that it was impossible, because Ichigo was still a human. Defeated, he was forced to say goodbye to his shinigami friends, and retire to the human world. Of course, if there was ever a hollow around, he would rush to aid whatever Soul Reaper was stationed here, but it was never one of his friends and never was it the one person he wanted to see the most.

As of the past two months, Ichigo stopped helping out with killing hollows all together. A dark cloud had settled over the boy, and he began to waste away slowly. His family were too busy to notice, what with Karin and Yuzu soon becoming adults. Ichigo was fading away bit by bit from the isolation and loneliness of the situation. Kon had even gone to stay with Ururu and Jinta at Urahara's shop. He hadn't seen any of them in such a long time. Now that he thought about it, he could not remember the last time he had even spoken to someone.

Deep down, Ichigo knew he was ready to move on from this life. So much waited for him in the Soul Society, that he could hardly bear living in this world. His biggest anxiety was to see Renji Abarai again. It was long in the making, but Ichigo finally figured out that he was in love with the red headed Soul Reaper. It was doubtful that Renji returned his feelings, but he longed for the friendship the two men had shared before Ichigo was isolated from them. Perhaps when he was back in the Soul Society, they could be friends once more.

The orange-haired boy knew that he would have to wait a long time before he was re-acquainted with his friends once more. He also was aware that when the time finally came in sixty or seventy years, his friends might not be his friends anymore; after all, people grew apart after time. Sighing deeply, Ichigo walked through the streets as the sun set, and the moon rose high into the night sky.

But maybe, he would be reunited with them faster than he thought possible. For it was on that night walking home, that Ichigo encountered a hollow, unprepared for the attack.

Ichigo sensed the hollow approaching him, and took one of his little pills he had stored in his pocket, and left his body as a Shinigami. The hollow, a large ugly thing with the body of a lizard, but with a tentacle for a tail and a white mask on its face, approached him with a sick grin. "Delicious," it hissed as it took in the weakened Soul Reaper in front of him. "I have not devoured a Soul Reaper in such a long time."

While Ichigo knew that he was thinner and had lost a lot of his strength in his depression, he was determined to kill this hollow. It had killed Soul Reapers before. He would avenge them. "Pfft," he guffawed, "I'd like to see you try." Unsheathing Zangetsu, he held the sword in front of him, suddenly aware of how heavy the sword felt in his grasp.

Without warning, the massive hollow lunged for him, tongue extended as it tried to grasp Ichigo. The boy jumped out of the way, surprised at the speed the hollow possessed. Knowing he would need to focus, he tried to ignore how off balance he felt with the heavy sword, and locked his eyes on his opponent.

Taking the initiative, Ichigo charged and swung his sword down in a sloppy arch, while the hollow simply side stepped. Zangetsu met the pavement, bouncing off with a clang and sending painful vibrations up Ichigo's arms. Turning around quickly, he ran once more at the hollow, swinging his sword, aiming straight for the hollow's mask.

The hollow jumped back and shot its tail out, wrapping it around Ichigo's legs and pulling them out from under the boy. Landing with a loud thud, his head smacked hard on the concrete, causing stars to spring forth behind his eyes. A warm liquid substance ran down the back of his head and trickled onto the ground below. Involuntarily, a groan escaped his mouth as he tried to clear his head enough to stand up.

Before he could, the hollow's tail wrapped around him and picked him up, only to slam him down onto the pavement. A sickening crack was heard a split second before a loud yell came from Ichigo, as his hip snapped. Once more the hollow slammed him into the pavement, succesfully breaking more bones in the boy's body. Sweat and tears ran down Ichigo's face as he inhaled sharply, trying to gather his bearings. Yet when he glanced down at himself, he saw something that made his heart stop. Bone had cut through skin, and there was a substantial amount of blood pooling around him. He was going to die here.

The hollow moved his face over Ichigo's. "Ready for your soul to be sucked out? It will certainly be delicious," it hissed as it opened its mouth, white teeth shining ominously at the boy.

"Not likely," Ichigo grunted, as he used what little strength he had left to lift Zangetsu and drive it clean through the hollow's mask.

"AHHHHGGG!" The hollow shrieked, rearing back as it pulled the massive blade from its face. The screaming continued until the hollow had turned to ash, and blew away in the wind.

Ichigo panted hard as he surveyed himself. He could feel his body growing cold, and he was finding it hard to stay awake. This time he knew for certain, he was going to die here. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to be upset about the fact. Perhaps he would be reunited with his friends in the Soul Society; but at least he didn't have to waste away in loneliness stuck on earth.

Shutting his eyes for what he knew was the last time in this body, he whispered: "I'm sorry Karin and Yuzu. You'll have to be stronger than ever now." And then his heart stopped.


	2. What Next?

As his heart stilled, all the pain suddenly vanished and Ichigo felt a weird sensation settle over him as his eyes flew open. He was standing on the street, looking down at his battered and broken body. A broken chain hung from his chest, having been severed from his body. "NO!" Ichigo shouted. He was a soul now but he did not go to the Soul Society. He would have to wait for a Soul Reaper to come help him move on. What if a hollow found him first? He did not have any of his powers now.

A thought occurred to him, and he took off at a full run, knowing where he needed to go. Running through the streets, Ichigo prayed that he would not come across a hollow while he was unable to defend himself. With every bit of strength that his soul had, he was able to arrive at Urahara's shop within five minutes. Throwing open the door, he alerted everyone to his presence as the door slammed against the wall. "Urahara!" he shouted as loud as he could. Within seconds, the exiled Soul Reaper appeared from the hall, dressed in his sleeping robes and without his hat.

"What is the matter, Ichigo?" Urahara asked as he yawned widely. When his eyes opened, the fan in his fingers fell to the floor as he took in the broken chain attached to Ichigo's chest. "Well... that's not good."

"No shit that's not good!" Ichigo shouted. "I have to wait around for a Soul Reaper so I don't get attacked by a hollow!"

"I meant the fact that you are dead," Urahara said as he picked up his fan from where it had dropped to the floor. Tessai, Ururu, and Jinta all entered the room, shocked into silence as they saw Ichigo's chain. "Did you want to die?"

Ichigo turned away suddenly. "I want to return to the Soul Society, but no I did not try to die. The hollow took advantage of my lack of training recently. I was not match for it."

"Where is your body Ichigo?" Tessai asked. Ichigo told him, and the older man and Jinta left to retrieve it, so it wouldn't remain in the streets. Ururu was sent back to bed by Urahara.

The man groaned as he sat down, indicating for Ichigo to do the same. "I know you are ready to return, but I wish you had not died so young. This will be hard on your family."

Ichigo sighed. "They have not been a part of my life for a while now. It will be easier for them to move on, I hope."

"I will make a call to the Soul Society in the morning and request they send someone to help you into the Seretei," he said as he surveyed the boy. Ichigo truly had disintegrated as of late. Even in his soul form, he retained the haunted, skinny look that have become of him. "I'll request they send Abarai."

That shocked Ichigo as he stuttered incoherently for a moment. "W-What? Why Renji?"

"I know that he has a role to play in all this, and I've also been informed through my many resources that he has missed you as well. I believe he should be one of the first to know that you have died."

Ichigo rubbed a hand over his face and remained silent. He was possibly going to see Renji tomorrow? What would the red-head think of him? Would he think Ichigo was weak for being defeated by such a weak hollow? Would he be ashamed to have one considered Ichigo a friend? Sighing, he tried to turn his mind away from the subject.

"I truly did not try to die Urahara," Ichigo said finally, tired of being surveyed by the man. "I wanted to, but I never once thought to actually die. I'm ready, but I did not try."

Urahara was silent for a long time as he continued to study the boy, but this time Ichigo kept his eyes locked on Urahara's. "I believe you," the older man said after a long moment. "I also know that things will be easier this way. You are ready to go become a member of one of the squads."

Ichigo blanched. "Won't I have to go through the schooling?"

"After all you've done?" Urahara scoffed. "The Soul Society is eager for you to die, so they can toss you in a position of authority as soon as possible, so then they can control some of your power. Just do not allow yourself to be manipulated."

Things were silent between them for a few minutes until the door opened, and Tessai walked in carrying Ichigo's limp body, with Jinta trailing behind. "That hollow destroyed you Ichigo," Jinta said, grimacing a bit. He opened his mouth to continue but Urahara stopped him.

"Go to bed Jinta, now." The boy scowled but relented, heading down the hall to go to bed.

Tessai placed Ichigo's body on the floor in front of him. "I'll clean you up before I bring you to your family tomorrow."

"Thank you Tessai. Will you tell them I'm sorry?" Ichigo asked quietly.

"Of course," the large man said as he nodded before leaving the room.

Ichigo looked at his body, before turning away. He didn't want to be near it anymore. "May I retire to one of the rooms?" he asked. "I know I can't sleep, but you can until morning."

"Of course," Urahara said.

"Thanks," Ichigo said as he stood up and wandered into one of the spare rooms where he lay down on one the beds. His thoughts wandered off to different places for the remainder of the night.


	3. Evaporation

**Sorry it's so short but i need to get my ideas down!**

Come morning, Ichigo was startled from his very own mind when the front door of Urahara's shop opened so loudly it shook the whole building. "What in the hell?" Ichigo asked as he stepped out into the hallway. Ururu and Jinta also emerged, but Tessai and Urahara were no where to be seen. Perhaps they were already up.

"What's going on?" A painfully familiar voice shouted. "Where's Ichigo?"

"I'm right here, Renji," Ichigo said as he stepped into the foyer. He swallowed loudly as he took in the sight of the man he had missed so much. Renji looked exactly the same; his hair up in its traditional ponytail, with his head band around his hairline. His muscular build was still well defined, even through the robes of the shinigami that he wore. The black tattoos looked striking as they went up with his brow as he gasped in surprise.

"For fuck's sake!" Renji nearly shouted as he shot forward and gripped Ichigo's shoulders firmly between his hands, startling the shorter boy. "I get a call early this morning, summoning me because something had happened to you. Then I get here and see Tessai carrying your battered and dead body. I thought a hollow had gotten your soul! Why can Urahara never just say exactly what happened when he calls?"

The man looked ravenous as he searched Ichigo's face for something. Ichigo, however, did not know what he was looking for. "Yeah, the damn hollow got the best of me. I managed to kill it, but I still failed in the end."

Renji looked shocked. That's not what he had been expecting. "You did not fail Ichigo. Look at you, you've obviously been having a hard time here. At least now you can come back and be with the rest of us. Everyone's missed you a lot, including me."

That surprised Ichigo, but not as much as when Renji leaned forward and enveloped Ichigo in a hug. The younger boy hugged the massive man back, breathing in the scent that was purely Renji. Oh how he wished that Renji viewed him as Ichigo viewed Renji. After a moment they separated. "You idiot. Did you think I'd make fun of you that you were killed by a hollow?"

Ichigo looked at the wall. "I shouldn't have lost to a hollow that weak."

"I'll change your mind eventually," Renji said as he threw an arm around Ichigo's shoulders, guiding him outside to where Urahara stood.

"You can do it now Renji," Urahara said, peering out from underneath his trademark hat. "Good-bye for now Ichigo, though I am sure we'll meet up again here pretty soon."

"See ya Urahara," the orange-haired boy said with sincerity. A small part of him would miss the shop owner. A very small, teeny tiny part.

Unsheathing his sword, Renji turned and stood right in front of Ichigo. "I do not know where you'll end up when you get to the Soul Society, but I will round everyone up and we will come find you. You may end up in one of the more dangerous districts and you will not have your shinigami powers back right away. Just stay where you are and do not speak to anyone. Not everyone in the Soul Society is kind. You ready?"

Ichigo nodded once before the sword hilt was pressed to his forehead firmly. "I'll find you," Renji said, and it was the last thing he heard as everything went white and he felt his very soul evaporate from earth.


	4. Desperation

Ichigo blinked rapidly as he inhaled sharply. The air was pure and clean, not thick and muggy like it was in his hometown. Opening his eyes, he had to squint in order to keep them open as the bright sun beat down upon him, as he lay on the soft grass. His body felt different, light and easily moveable as he sat up to survey his surroundings.

He was sitting on a small hill, overlooking a large community filled with broken down huts and crumpling buildings. At first he thought the place was deserted, so he was surprised when he looked closer and saw people moving around, walking through the streets, or sitting down outside the old houses. Immediately he knew he was in the Soul Society, but he had never seen this part before. He knew that it was one of the latter numbers of the Rukongai, but which one he didn't know. None of the people he saw wore shoes, and most of them wore old torn clothing.

Standing up slowly, he decided to head down into the district, to see if he could find out where he was. He did not want to just sit around, for possibly days until he was found by the Soul Reapers. With a relaxed step, he walked down the hill and into the district, looking for someone who could give him some answers.

While walking, he couldn't help but stare at the ruins that this district was in. Many of the rooftops had hole in them, the wood rotting away from lack of repair. There were no windows, only gaping holes in the sides of the huts, some boarded up so that it was not possible to see inside the buildings. A few children were running around, obviously malnourished and dressed in tattered garments. He had heard about the lower districts in the Rukongai, but never had he imagined it like this. Thugs walked down some of the streets, or sat on the sides watching him with a wary eye. Ichigo hoped he would not be recognized, as he was ill equipped to protect himself.

After a few minutes of walking, he spotted a woman, looking to be in her mid-thirties. She wore torn clothing, and had a ripped shawl over her black hair. A young child's hand was grasped firmly in hers, as she walked swiftly through the streets. "Hey!" Ichigo shouted as he ran towards them. "Hang on a minute."

The woman tensed, but just when Ichigo thought she would flee, the woman turned to him. "What the hell do you want?" she snapped viciously, surprising the orange-haired boy.

"What district is this?" he asked. "How far away is this place from the Sereitei?"

The woman laughed a condescending laugh. "You got sent to a pretty poor place boy," she scoffed. "The Sereitei can hardly be any farther. You are in the 78th district of the Rukongai. Congratulations." The woman laughed harshly as she dragged the young child away and into one of the huts further down the street.

Ichigo shuddered. The 78th district? The higher the district the number, he had been told, the higher the crime rate. He was in a dangerous district, far away from the capital, and no body knew where he was. Perhaps he should try to head towards the Sereitei. Remaining here would surely put him in more risk than leaving, wouldn't it? Not knowing what to do, he wandered aimlessly through the streets, hoping he would stumble across a kinder person who could help him out. Perhaps there might even be a Soul Reaper here.

Eventually he decided to listen to Renji, and stay in this district. He did not know which way the Sereitei was, and he did not want to accidently stumble into the 79th or 80th Rukon district. That would just be asking for hell.

People stared at him, mostly with hatred as he walked through the streets. He had the slight suspicion that many of them had guessed who he was by now. In all honesty, how many orange-haired boys were there stumbling through the Soul Society? Most had probably figured out by now that this was the legendary Substitute Shinigami from earth, and now he was weak and alone in the 78th Rukon District. Shuddering, Ichigo shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his pants and kept walking. As to where he was headed, he did not know.

It was almost an hour later that someone shouted out to him. "HEY! You with the orange hair!" a loud masculine voice called out. Was it a Soul Reaper, here to help him? Turning around quickly, he inhaled sharply when he saw four men stepping out of the shadows, approaching him with an ominous intent. All wore feral grins on their faces as they stalked towards him.

"I know you," the tallest one said, his teeth yellow and his black hair slick with grease from lack of cleaning. "The whole Soul Society has heard about you. Guess you finally died, eh boy? I bet there is quite a few who would pay dearly in order to keep you alive."

Ichigo stepped back as he glared at the men. He might not have his Zanpakuto, but he still had his fists. His body was still in it's weakened state from when he had died, but perhaps he could outrun the men. "Stay away, I'm warning you," he snarled at the men, trying to sound intimidating. It obviously didn't work when they started laughing at him.

"Grab him!" the large man shouted, just before the other three ran at him. Turning tail, Ichigo ran as fast as his legs would take him, knowing that he didn't stand a chance against these men. Thinking about what he could do, he turned down several streets, trying to lose the men. When he turned to look back at them, he was stunned to see that they were no longer chasing him. Perhaps they had grown tired of the chase. Turning his head to face in front of him, he slid to a stop when he saw two of them right in front of him.

Laughter came from his sides, and he spotted the large man and the other guy coming at him from slightly behind. He was trapped. Two of them grabbed his arms before he could blink, and try as he might, he couldn't shake them off. "Let's take this somewhere more private, shall we?" one of them chuckled as he was dragged into an alley not far away.

"Let go of me, you bastards!" Ichigo swore as he struggled, kicking out at the men. He grinned when his foot connected with one of their knees, causing the man to buckle a bit.

"Damn you!" the man cursed as his fist connected with Ichigo's face. "I'll fucking kill you!"

The men all laughed as blood began to trickle from his split lip, sliding down his chin and onto his shirt. One of them reached back and punched him in the gut, forcing all the air from his lungs.

'Damn it!' Ichigo thought desperately. 'I finally get here and I'm going to die here. I'll never see any of my friends again. Rukia, Uryu, Chad, Orihime. _Renji_...' He cringed. He'd never again see the wonderful red-head again, never be able to share precious moments with the man he secretly loved.

The fist connected with his stomach again, and he felt as several of his ribs broke. "AGHH!" Ichigo yelled out in pain, as blood spluttered from his mouth. His knees gave out when one of them punched his broken ribs. Stars shot forth behind his eyes, but he did not pass out.

"Now this is hardly fair," another voice called out, as it approached from the street into the alley. Ichigo looked up and saw two figures. He nearly cried in relief when he spotted the bald headed man, followed by another with feathers on his face. Ikkaku and Yumichika. "Beating a helpless man, four on one. What cowards," Ikkaku hissed with a sick grin on his face as he cracked his knuckles. He would not use his Zanpakuto on scum like this. Oh no, he would kill them with his bare hands.

"You four are the ugliest things I have ever seen," Yumichika said with a groan, as he lurched forwards and grabbed the throat of the man holding Ichigo. "It is a mercy to end your un-beautiful life." With that, Yumichika clenched his hand, crushing the man's throat, causing him to fall to the dirt, dead.

Ikkaku grinned. "Save some for me!" And he shot forward and grabbed the shirt of the other man holding Ichigo, and slammed him against the wall so hard, his head shattered. He too, fell dead.

With no one holding Ichigo, the boy slid to the ground, panting hard as blood fell from his lips. Ikkaku scowled down at him, before turning and grabbing the tall man, who was backing away. "I'll kill you for hurting him. Mainly because if I let you live, there is another Soul Reaper who will kill you so slowly, so painfully, and I don't want him to have to come all the way here for that." Lunging forward, Ikkaku grabbed the man's neck and snapped it, not even giving him enough time to scream.

At the same time, Yumichika killed the final man, dropping the corpse to the ground. "Well that was fun," the black haired man said as he ran his clean hand through his hair. He turned to face Ichigo. "Let's get you to Squad Four."

Ichigo looked up at the two men. "Thank you, both," he spluttered through the blood in his mouth.

"God you're a sad sight," Ikkaku said as he reached down and picked Ichigo up. Ichigo bit his lip, groaning as his ribs were jostled. "Sorry, but can't exactly heal you here." With that, Yumichika unsheathed his sword and hit Ichigo on the head with it, knocking the boy unconscious.

Ikkaku looked at Yumichika in shock. The man shrugged. "At least he won't feel anything."

"Merciful bastard," Ikkaku chuckled, as they began to run back to the Seretei, headed for the Squad Four barracks.


	5. Here We'll Put You

When Ichigo woke up, it was to the disorienting feeling of being jostled around. Then the pain struck him. A shout of pain escaped him as he tried to push away whatever was moving him. "God dammit, you weren't supposed to wake up yet, idiot," a loud voice shouted in his ear. Eyes flying open, Ichigo was met with his face only inches from Ikkaku's, as he was being carried by the older shinigamie.

"You knocked me out!" Ichigo groaned out, as he turned to look at Yumichika's smug face, as he ran beside Ikkaku.

"I was doing you a favor so you wouldn't be in so much pain, you ungrateful thing," Yumichika said. "Shall I knock you out again?"

"No!" Ichigo said as he clutched his ribs which felt like they would poke through the skin at any given moment. "I can handle this pain, it's nothing really." As Ikkaku jumped over a large stump, Ichigo had to bite his lip to keep from shouting out.

"We're almost there anyways," Ikkaku said, as he slowed to a walk. Looking around, Ichigo recognized the front entrance to the Squad Four barracks.

"Let me walk," Ichigo said, "don't make me get carried in there."

Ikkaku looked at him before nodding, and almost gently deposited Ichigo on his feet. Had he not maintained his hold on the boy, Ichigo would have collapsed. "You are not fit to walk. There is no shame in-"

"Just help me walk in there," Ichigo shouted, cutting him off. Damn that boy and his stubbornness. Relenting, Ikkaku pulled Ichigo's arm over his shoulder, and helped the boy limp into the infirmary, with Yumichika departing in order to send hell butterflies to the rest of the Soul Reapers out looking for the boy.

"Thanks Ikkaku," Ichigo said as they stepped inside the barracks.

"Don't mention it," the bald-headed shinigami replied, just as a frantic woman shot towards them.

"My word!" Unohana shouted as she grabbed Ichigo from Ikkaku. "Everyone's been looking everywhere for you! What happened?"

"Several thugs in the 78th district," Ikkaku said, before bowing and leaving Ichigo with the medical captain.

"Well, at least you'll live," she said, clucking her tongue at him as she led him into a room and pushed him on the bed. "Let's get these wounds fixed up."

She immediately set to work, doing all that she could with her medical kido in order to repair the broken ribs, and fix the injuries to his face. Thankfully, the wounds were not all that serious, so she was able to repair most of the damage. After a while, she stopped and said "remove your top so I can wrap your ribs. They will need to be wrapped for the next week or so, and you might need to find someone to help you with this."

Blushing a bit as he took off his top, Unohana lifted her eyebrows at his almost anorexic body. The boy truly had been suffering from his separation from the Soul Society. Hopefully now that he was here, things would begin to look up for him. Moving behind him, she carefully began to wrap his ribs with precise and experiences hands.

After he was wrapped up and his shirt was back on, she went to stand in front of him. "I fixed all that I could, though your ribs will be sore for the next week or so. There will also be some bruising along the side of your face, and around your stomach. They will fade soon enough."

"Thank you Unohana," Ichigo said as he stood up from the bed carefully.

"Come," she said, "there is someone outside who is about ready to burst down the door." As Ichigo followed her outside, he had to wonder why he couldn't sense the person outside. When would he regain his powers as a Soul Reaper? Or would he ever get them back?

"Ichigo!" Several voices shouted, and he looked up only to be tackled by a small blur with black hair. "You stupid idiot!"

"Nice to see you too, Rukia," he said, wincing a little as she clung to his sore ribs. Nevertheless, he hugged her back just as fiercly.

As they stepped back from one another, Ichigo was damn near shocked when Renji burst forth and hugged him. "Bastard, nearly getting yourself killed as soon as you get here," Renji said, as he hugged the smaller boy gently, careful of his injuries.

Ichigo grinned as he returned the hug, wishing it would last longer than the mere seconds it did. "Hey Ichi," a small voice squealed at him. Looking down, he was surprised to see Kenpachi's lieutenant, Yachiru, beaming up at him. "Kenny's glad you're here. Now you guys can fight and have fun!"

"Not likely," Renji hissed. "Your captain is not going to kill him as soon as he is a trained Soul Reaper."

"Kenny wouldn't kill him," Yachiru said, her brows pinching together. "He would never kill Ichi, they're such good friends." With that, she chuckled and took off, probably heading back to the Squad Eleven barracks.

They all shook their heads as they watched her depart. "Come on Ichigo, Yamamoto's got an announcement!" Rukia said as she grabbed Ichigo's hand and began to drag him away. Renji followed behind, chuckling softly as they headed toward the Squad One barracks where the meeting was to be held.

"What announcement?" Ichigo asked, turning to Renji. The red-head merely smirked, a grin that Ichigo couldn't help but think was sexy. Turning away with a blush for thinking such a thing, he shifted his thoughts towards whatever Yamamoto was going to say.

When they walked inside, Ichigo gapped as he took in the large room. Every captain, and their lieutenants were present, all standing around. "Ah!" Yamamoto exclaimed as they stepped inside. "Just in time. Come stand over here Ichigo."

Ichigo walked up and stood next to the old man, while Rukia went to stand with her captain Jushiro Ukitake while Renji went to stand beside his captain Byakuya Kuchiki. "I have called you all here for an announcement. "With this young Soul Reaper finally arriving, I have decided to allow him into the ranks. After consulting with the captains, I have come to my decision about which division Ichigo will be placed into."

Ichigo blanched. He was getting put into a division so soon?! Which one would he be put into? Hopefully not Squad Eleven. Kenpachi would never leave him alone! Nor Squad Four, he wasn't into medical healing.

Yamamoto turned to face the boy. "I have decided, along with the captain of said squad, to place you into the 6th Division as 3rd seat. Your captain will be Byakuya Kuchiki, and your lieutenant will be Renji Abarai. Congratulations."


	6. Feast For the Souls

Ichigo blanched. He was going to be working under Renji and Byakuya? How did he get so lucky and so unlucky at the same time? How was he supposed to focus working under Renji? What would happen if Renji found out about Ichigo's infatuation with him? Ichigo would be forced to leave the Soul Society out of shame. He would just have to make sure that Renji never found out. Glancing over at said red-head, he was surprised to see the shock and happiness on Renji's face. Guess he never knew that Yamamoto was putting him in Squard Six.

And third seat no less! It usually took many years to work up to a seat that high, and yet here Ichigo was, an improperly trained Soul Reaper, without powers at the moment, being placed into such a high seat with so much authority. He did not feel worthy of the seat. He did not feel like he had earned such a position. Hopefully he got his powers back soon. While he could feel his ability to sense starting to lift, he wanted to get his Zanpakuto back and be a full fledge Soul Reaper.

"You will be receiving training from your squad for the next few weeks," Yamamoto said. "We all wish you the best with your new squad. Meeting dismissed."

A few of the captains came over and expressed their congratulations, some even showing disappointment and not having him in their squads. Thanking them all, he searched with his eyes for Renji and Byakuya, hoping to speak with them. Something jumped on him from behind, jostling his ribs and causing him to hiss lightly.

"Oh, sorry," Rukia said as she released him. "Congratulations Ichigo! I cannot believe you made third seat! This is amazing!"

He grinned down at her. "Thanks. Did you know I was being placed in Squad Six?"

She shook her head. "No, I had no idea! Byakuya kept it a secret."

"That I did," Byakuya said as he approached the pair slowly, with a grinning Renji right behind him. "Welcome, third seat Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Thank you for allowing me on your squad," Ichigo said, bowing his head once. The gesture was returned.

"Come to my office tomorrow morning, and we'll start with your training," Byakuya said.

"I will be there, but I do not have my powers back yet," Ichigo said.

"Do not worry, they should be back by morning."

Ichigo grinned and watched as his new captain left the building, leaving him alone with Rukia and Renji. Rukia excused herself as well, running after her brother.

"Congrats carrot-head," Renji said as he hit Ichigo's shoulder lightly. "Now I get to boss you around."

Ichigo smirked. "Yeah right, Pineapple. When I've got my powers back, I'll hand your ass to you on a platter."

"You're on," Renji said with a wink. Ichigo felt his face flush up, and he turned away to walk outside, hoping the setting sun would mask the blush. "Come on, I'll show you to our room. You'll be living with me for now."

Ichigo stuttered at that. "W-with you? You don't need me intruding on you like that."

Renji laughed. "Get over it. You're my best friend, of course you're coming to live with me." With that he threw his arm over Ichigo's shoulder, guiding him to the Squad Six barracks.

After a few minutes, Ichigo spoke up. "It's so nice to finally be here," he said. "To know that I can stay as a Soul Reaper, and not be forced to leave."

Renji sighed, the mood shifting to a more serious one. "It was not your time to die Ichigo. You should have lived a full life, experiencing all normal human things. Now you're being thrown into a life full of dangerous work."

"I enjoy it more here. I hated it back on earth," Ichigo said, defending the situation. "I just don't like that it was a stupid hollow that finished me off."

He felt Renji stiffen beside him. "You were unwell. You are still unwell. But with my excellent cooking and training, will fix you up in no time."

"Excellent cooking? Since when do you cook?" Ichigo scoffed. "You'll probably poison me."

"I will not!" Renji said defensively. "My cooking is wonderful; I'll have you know."

"Guess we'll see," Ichigo chuckled as he was guided into a small house.

"Well, this is home," Renji said. "It isn't much, but I figured it beats living in the communal space with the unseated Squad Six members."

The hut was awesome, in Ichigo's opinion, and all the better because it was purely Renji. The living area was well furnished with a table and seats, and a few painted scrolls hung on the wall, next to a large window. The kitchen was fully stocked, and down the hallway was a bathroom and a bedroom. Inside the bedroom, there were two beds, one pushed against each wall. Renji's side had his belongings, and a wardrobe filled with his robes. The side that Ichigo guessed was his, had been stocked up with Shinigami robes as well.

"What do ya think?" Renji asked, looking almost nervous.

"It's awesome!" Ichigo exclaimed as he looked around. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

Renji grinned. "Glad yah like it. Come on though, Matsumoto made supper and is waiting probably waiting for us."

"Who's all going to be there?" Ichigo asked warily. He wasn't in the mood to be around any huge crowds.

"Not that many," Renji said. "Matsumoto, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Toshiro, and us."

Ichigo nodded, that wasn't too bad. "Well, let's go then. I'm starved!"

Together the two guys left the hut and walked silently over to Squad Ten, where they entered Matsumoto's place, only to be swarmed by their friends. "Hey, there you two are!" Rangiku shouted as she placed the last bit of food onto the large table. "Come eat, I bet you guys are starving!"

"Thanks Rangiku!" they both said as they sat down with their friends and dug into the food.

"So Ichigo," Ikkaku said through his full mouth, earning a glare from Yumichika, "think you'll be able to handle Squad Four?"

"Hell yeah," Ichigo said with a grin. "As soon as I've got my Zanpakuto back, I'll be ready for anything they can throw at me. Except for paperwork; not sure I could handle it if all I was doing was paperwork."

They all chuckled. "Should have come to Squad Eleven," Ikkaku responded with a feral grin. "We would have enjoyed playing with you. You would have given Kenpachi a hell of a time."

Ichigo shuddered. "I'd rather not have to worry about my psychotic captain wanting to fight me every hour of the day. Believe me, I couldn't have picked a better squad."

At that, Renji and Rukia beamed. "That's so nice to hear Ichigo," Rukia said. "I know Byakuya is happy to have you on the Squad."

"He has emotions?!" Rangiku asked seriously. "He's as emotional as a stone."

"I'll second that," Toshiro said, taking a bite of his food.

Renji chuckled. "My captain does actually have emotions; more so after the events of recent years. He's even started to smile."

"No way!" Rangiku shouted, slamming her hand down on the table. "I need proof!"  
Toshiro shook his head at her. "You are not going to stalk the Squad Six captain until he smiles. I will not allow you to disregard your duties in such a matter."

Rangiku's bottom lip stuck out. "That's so unfair, captain!" she whined. Everyone chuckled.

Ichigo looked around, surveying his group of friends and wondering how he had gotten so lucky. It was so nice to be back among his peers. This was truly where he was meant to be, and nothing was going to separate him from them now. He was here to stay.

Turning his attention to the food he was wolfing down, it wasn't until Ikkaku openly gawked at him that he looked up. "Eating enough food their, Ichigo?"

The orange-haired boy shrugged. "Haven't had a real meal in a long time, excuse me for pigging out." A blush formed on his cheeks, despite his words, so he turned his attention to Rangiku. "You are an excellent cook."

"Thank you Ichigo," she said with a kind smile. "Eat your fill and do not listen to the bald idiot. You're going to need to eat better in order to regain your strength for training."

Ichigo grinned back gently, trying not to notice Renji's piercing gaze. He wondered why the red-head was so concerned about his health, but tried not to think to hard on it. Renji was probably just a concerned friend.

After a while, when everyone had finished eating, and they all helped Rangiku clean up the mess, they departed. Renji and Ichigo walked Rukia back to her squad, before the two of them headed to their hut for the night.

When they got into their room, Renji stripped off his shirt with his back to Ichigo, causing the orange-haired boy to blush bright red. His eyes followed the tattoos going down the back of his neck and onto his back. His muscles rippled as he pulled his shirt over his head. Reaching up, he pulled the hair elastic from his hair, and Ichigo inhaled sharply when the red hair fell down over his shoulders. That man was truly breathtaking.

Turning away, Ichigo pulled his shirt over his head without thinking. He collapsed against the wall, clutching his ribs as he began to pant in pain as a hiss escaped him. "Ichigo!" Renji said, rushing over. The pain in his ribs and the gorgeous sight in front of him were not helping, so he clenched his eyes shut to block out one of the problems. "You idiot, your ribs are still sore. The bindings come lose."

Looking down, Ichigo saw it was true. The wrapping was coming undone, so there wasn't any comforting pressure on his ribs anymore. "I'm fine. I'll fix it." His hands went to grab the wrap, but Renji's shot forward and slapped them away.

"You sit down, I'll help you with that," he said, pushing Ichigo gently onto the bed.

"What?" Ichigo stuttered, hoping Renji couldn't see the blush on his cheeks. "I can do it myself, you don't need to-"

"Would you shut up? I've had injured ribs before and I know for a fact you can't wrap them yourself, so turn around and shut your mouth."

Huffing, Ichigo obliged and turn to face the wall, placing his hands on his knees to allow Renji access to the wrap. The older man unwound the lose wrap, and inhaled sharply at the bruising that covered the boy. Shaking his head slightly as he realized just how much pain the boy had probably been in all day, he carefully began to re-wrap Ichigo's ribs, being careful not to pull the bandage too tight.

Whenever Renji's warm hand would brush Ichigo's bare skin, the orange-haired boy would have to physically try to stop himself from shuddering. This was not going to be easy, living with someone he had fallen so hard for. What was he going to do when it was only the first night and he was already struggling so much?

When Renji finished, Ichigo turned around to face him, trying to keep his eyes from travelling down Renji's muscular form. "Thanks, Renji."

"Not a problem," the red-head said as he went and crawled into his bed, pulling up the covers. Ichigo climbed into his own bed. "Do you snore?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Sometimes. Do you?"

"Sometimes," Renji repeated. The pair laughed. "Good night, Ichigo."

"Good night, Renji."

Rolling over, Ichigo fell asleep listening to the sound of Renji's soft breaths.


	7. Normal Living

Ichigo sat up like a shot in his bed, only to smash his head against something equally as hard. "AHG!" a voice groaned from right in front of him. As Ichigo took in his surroundings, he brought his hand up to his sore forehead. Renji was leaning over him, backing away as he too rubbed his forehead. "God dammit Ichigo, why in the hell did you have to do that?"  
Ichigo collapsed back onto the pillow. "You're alright," he mumbled as he covered his face with his hands. His sheets were soaked from sweat, from the nightmare he'd just had.

"What the hell? Of course I'm alright, you idiot," Renji said, his voice getting softer as he observed the distressed boy. "But are you?"

Ichigo kept his face covered. "I dreamt about that night, when I first fought you here in the Seretei. I killed you."

Renji was silent for a moment. "It was only a nightmare Ichigo. You never killed me, though you were mighty close if I do remember clearly. Don't stress yourself over that, we've both moved on from the time when we wanted to do each other in."

Ichigo nodded once. "What time is it?"

"We need to be ready in an hour. I'm going to go get breakfast ready; you go have a shower," Renji said as he tossed a towel at the boy. "Look at your side Ichigo."

Ichigo opened his eyes and moved the hand from his face, turning down to look beside him. Inhaling sharply, he reached forward to grasp the hilt of Zangetsu. His blade was back. Now that he thought about it, he was able to sense the spiritual pressures around him. With a small grin, he placed the blade by his bed and headed towards the bathroom, while Renji went to the kitchen to make breakfast for the pair.

The shower was nice, but Ichigo made sure not to use all the hot water as he knew Renji still needed to get in. Rinsing off his hair, he shut off the water and wrapped his lower half in a towel. As he stepped out into the hallway, Renji darted into the bathroom. "The food's in the oven staying warm; don't touch it until I get out!"

Chuckling, Ichigo dried himself off and changed into his shinigami robes, before picking up Zangetsu. He felt so relieved to have his Zanpakuto back with him. Picking it up, he placed it in its rightful place; strapped to his back. He quickly made his bed and hung his towel up on one of the hooks as Renji stepped out of the bathroom, with the a towel wrapped low on his waist. Ichigo gulped.

Renji's hair was down, vibrant red and soaking wet, leaving trails of tiny water droplets that slid down his massive chest. They slid down his pectorals, and into the creases of his abs, only to disappear down the defined v and into the towel below. It took all of Ichigo's will power not to follow those drops with his eyes, and keep his eyes locked on Renji's. "Just lemme get changed and then we'll eat," the lieutenant said. Not wanting to stick around to see that and potentially cause damage, Ichigo turned and went into the kitchen, trying to get the blush in his cheeks to disappear.

Grabbing some plates from the cupboard, as well as a few glasses, Ichigo set the large table for himself and Renji. The red-head walked in just as Ichigo was placing the silverware on the table. "Alright!" Renji said with a grin. "Let's eat."

Putting on a pair of oven mitts, Renji opened the oven door and pulled out a pan covered with food. There was bacon, eggs, waffles, toast, and in a bowl on the countertop was an array of cut up fruit. As Renji placed it all on the table, Ichigo could only gawk. "You made all of this while I was in the shower?" he gapped.

"Impressive, huh?" Renji said smugly, as he crossed his arms and lifted his nose, looking mighty proud.

Ichigo nodded. "I'll give it to yah Renji, this looks pretty amazing." The two sat down and dug into the food, too busy eating for any sort of conversation. The orange-haired boy had to give it to Renji, the food was pretty damn delicious. Who knew Renji could cook like this, and so fast too? Ichigo was looking forward to learning new things about Renji, that would surely be learnt from living under the same roof. He just hoped that he could control his attraction to the lieutenant. God he'd be so humiliated if Renji found out.

Shaking the thoughts away, he helped Renji finish of the food. When they finished, Renji was about to stand up and grab the plates, but Ichigo beat him to it. "No way," Ichigo said with a grin. "You cooked, you do not have to clean." Renji looked like he was about to argue, so Ichigo snatched the dirty dishes and immediately set to cleaning them in the wash basin filling it up with warm water and dish liquid. Who knew the Soul Society had so many human-like things?

"At least let me dry," Renji said as he grabbed a dish towel and began to wipe dry the clean dishes Ichigo laid out.

"Alright," he nodded, liking the normalness of just standing in a kitchen cleaning dishes with his best friend. Hopefully things could stay this way. He liked living with Renji. It was the most he could have, since he could never even begin to wish for the red-haired lieutenant to reciprocate his feelings.

Once the dishes were dried and put away, Renji strapped on his Zanpakuto. "Come on," he said, "let's go start the day with our squad."

"Right!" Ichigo agreed, as he followed Renji outside and to the Squad Six main building.


	8. Come Out to Play

It was still early in the morning, and the sun was just peaking over the horizon as the two men walked up to the Squad Six building where Byakuya Kuchiki stood waiting for them. The captain stood silently, watching his second and third seats walking up to him. "Morning Captain Kuchiki," Renji said.

"Hey," Ichigo said, much less formal, earning him a glance from his new captain. Still, the black haired man nodded at the pair.

"Where shall we start this morning, Captain?" Renji asked, a wicked grin on his face. He was looking forward to sparing with Ichigo.

Byakuya regarded them for a minute. "Ichigo, I would like Renji to become aware of your other... personality. We shall bring him out."  
Ichigo blanched when he grasped what Byakuya meant. "You can't be serious!" he nearly shouted. "He could kill you both."  
"What?" Renji asked, sincerely confused. "Who? What are you talking about?"

"You have to see it," Byakuya said, before turning back to Ichigo. "Renji is your lieutenant. He needs to know in case it should come out during battle. I would also care to know if it will be a danger for Renji to be around him."

Renji was about to pipe up again, but Byakuya silenced him. "Do not interfere Renji. Just observe." Then Byakuya charged.

Ichigo hardly had time to draw his Zanpakuto in time, to save him from being sliced in two by Byakuya. "This is insane!" Ichigo said, wanting Byakuya to see reason. "I won't be able to hold him back like I used to."

"Let him out, Ichigo," Byakuya said as he flash-stepped behind the orange-haired boy and sliced the boy deeply down the shoulder. Ichigo let out a yell as he turned around and tried to counter.

"Captain!" Renji shouted, about to fling himself in front of Ichigo. "He is not ready to fight like this!"

"Silence, Renji," the captain ordered. The red-head closed his mouth, hand twitching to grab Zabimaru to keep Ichigo from being injured further. "Let him out!"

As Byakuya's sword sliced Ichigo down the chest, Ichigo felt it. His hollow coming forth. "No! NO!" He shouted as he grabbed his head, wishing to keep the hollow locked up. But the next thing he knew, he was no longer in control of his body, but was stuck as if behind a barrier to watch the next events unfold.

Renji watched as a hollow mask began to form over Ichigo's face, and he could only stare as Ichigo's kind eyes glazed over and became the yellow and black of a traditional hollow. His teeth turned to sharp fangs, and his mouth seemed to stretch impossibly far up into a sick grin that made Reni feel ill. Red stripes went down the forehead of the mask and just under the eye. What the hell was happening to Ichigo?

"Hahahahah!" Ichigo laughed histarically. "He's so weak, useless! Couldn't even hold me back at all."

"What are you?" Renji asked. The hollow turned to look at him, and the grin widened, freezing the red-head's blood. Before he could blink, Ichigo, or whatever that thing was, was standing in front of him.

The hollow observed him before bringing up a cool hand to touch Renji's cheek. "Why I am a hollow, you fool. A part of Ichigo; always there but never seen. You are important to Ichigo, I know all about you Renji Abarai."

Renji jerked back for a moment, and was surprised to see hurt flash across the hollow's face, but it was gone within a second. The hollow shot back and laughed a bone-chilling manic laugh. "You're scared that I'll attack Renji if I come out, pathetic," the hollow chuckled, beginning to walk in circles around the captain. "I will not. This is Ichigo's squad, which means that it is also my squad. Even if I wanted to, let me show you what would happen if I charged Renji with the intent to kill."

Locking eyes with the red-head, Renji felt frozen in place as he was suddenly charged by the hollow; Zangetsu poised and ready to run him through. Just as Renji feared the blade was going to impale him, the hollow froze and let out a pained screech as it began to claw at it's face. "NO!" Ichigo's real voice shouted, his hands clawing at his own face, grasping and pulling at the mask. Pained yells escaped the orange-haired boy as he tore the mask off and crushed it in his hands. Bending over, Ichigo put his hands on his knees, panting hard with his hair covering his face.

When Ichigo looked up, Renji was beyond relieved to see that the boy was back to normal. "Sorry you had to see that," Ichigo said, not meeting Renji's eyes. Then he turned away and faced Byakuya. "Don't ever make me do that again."

Byakuya stared before nodding once. "Go to squad four and get healed up. Your real training starts tomorrow." Ichigo turned and left without a word, leaving Renji standing there, confused and lost in thought, as he watched the orange-haired boy walk with his shoulders slumped and gait hurried.

Ichigo all but ran away from squad six. Wanting nothing more than to be alone, he was pleased when he felt Renji's spiritual pressure remain with Byakuya. He would get to be alone for a while. Not wanting to go to squad four, as the injuries weren't all that bad and had already dried over, he went and changed clothes at Renji's place. As soon as he was dressed in clean, un-ripped clothing, Ichigo went for a walk through the confusing streets of the Sereitei, allowing himself to get lost in thought.

Damn Byakuya for forcing him to do that. First day as a soul reaper again, and they drag his hollow out to play. What if his hollow wasn't so well behaved? What if he had decided to attack Byakuya... or Renji? The hollow had truly went to kill Renji when Ichigo had interfered. He was aware that the hollow knew Ichigo would regain control; but what if he hadn't been strong enough? Byakuya didn't know the extent of his control over his hollow. That was a dangerous risk that shouldn't have been taken.

Then there was the look of shock and fear on Renji's face. What was the red-head going to think of him now? Would Renji kick him out of his house? Never want to see him again? Bitter and depressing thoughts ran through his head as he wandered the maze-like walkways of the Sereitei.


	9. What About Now?

The sun was beginning to set by the time Renji had found Ichigo. The orange-haired boy had hidden his spiritual pressure and sat on a rooftop for the day, thinking about what to do from here. While he was lost in thought, he accidentally allowed his spiritual pressure free again, and Renji found him within five minutes. "Ichigo," Renji's voice called up to him. "Come walk with me."

Ichigo regarded the red-head with a blank expression as he conteplated whether to follow Renji or try to make a break for it. He was not ready to hear Renji tell him to get out of his house, and to never speak to him again. All the mental preparation he had given himself up on this rooftop had done nothing for his resolve, and he found himself suddenly terrified to face the lieutenant. What a coward he was, he thought. Not able to face his own problems out of the fear of rejection; pathetic.

Jumping down off the roof, Ichigo approached Renji, but stopped ten feet away. He did not want to make Renji uncomfortable, so he kept his distance and looked at Renji's chin instead of his eyes. "You didn't go to squad four," Renji said, as he observed the red stains on Ichigo's clothing. He may have changed out of the one's that had been cut up, but the blood had still seeped through. "Those wounds need to be tended to."

Ichigo just shrugged before going still once more. "They're nothing; I've had a lot worse."

"Ichigo," Renji started, "about today-"

Ichigo cut him off. "Look, I'm sorry that I never told you before. I realize that I'm part hollow, and that you are a soul reaper who is supposed to kill hollows. So I understand if you want me to leave, or if you even think I should be killed. I know this already, but do know that I never put anyone in danger by having people around me. He is well-mannered, for a hollow. He only attacks enemies-"

Now Renji cut him off, but by walking up and shoving Ichigo hard into the stone wall. "You idiot. I'm not kicking you out, nor do I think you should be killed for it being a part of you. You are a soul reaper, and that is what matters."

Ichigo blanched. He never imagined Renji would be ok with this. Clueless as to what to say, he just nodded dumbly. After a moment, he finally brought his eyes up to meet Renji's, and was shocked to see so much emotion in those cherry orbs. "Renji," Ichigo said softly. The red-head lurched forward and pushed Ichigo against the wall and slammed his lips down on Ichigo's. The orange-haired boy was frozen still for a moment, before he responded with vigor. Shutting his mind off to block out any doubtful thoughts, he lost himself to Renji.

The kiss was desperate, and the two clung to each other, as if fearful the other would disappear from their grasps if they didn't hang on hard enough. Renji's hands were on Ichigo's waist, holding the smaller boy against the wall, while Ichigo's hands traveled up and pulled Renji's hair-tie out, in order to entangle his fingers in the silky red locks. Ichigo's heart was beating so fast, he was sure Renji could feel it through their touching chests.

As Renji's tongue teased his lower lip, Ichigo immediately opened his mouth and moaned into Renji's. Their tongues danced together; Ichigo a little uncoordinated from lack of experience, but he made up for it in is passion. Learning quickly, he fought for dominance, but eventually relented and allowed Renji to explore his mouth.

When they seperated for breath, Ichigo stood panting, while Renji moved the kisses down along Ichigo's jaw, tracing the bone. Pleasurable chills coursed down his spine as Renji contrinued to kiss down his neck, stopping to suck on the juncture where his neck met his collarbone. "Mmm... Renji," Ichigo moaned as he shut his eyes. Leaning his head back, he was about to let out another sound of encouragement, when Renji pulled away.

"I can't do this anymore," Renji said, looking Ichigo straight in the eye. The boy immediately felt his heart stop and his blood turn to ice. Looking down at the ground, the orange-haired boy inwardly told himself that he would not cry, no matter what Renji was going to say. He knew that he wasn't an experienced kisser, but was he really that bad? As these negative thoughts filled his mind, he was shocked when fingers were at his chin, pulling his face up so that his eyes looked into Renji's. "I can't live not telling you how I feel. Dammit, I love you Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo's entire body pulsed as he looked at Renji, searching his eyes for proof; and he found it. In Renji's beautiful orbs, all Ichigo saw was love and admiration. Unable to keep the goofy grin from spreading across his face, he said "I love you too, Renji. I never imagined that you would feel the same way. But are you sure you're ok with this? You saw what I am today; what's inside of me."

Renji observed him for a minute, before replying. "That hollow isn't you, but I accept that he is a part of you. I want all of you Ichigo, even your hollow."

Ichigo couldn't believe that Renji had just said that. When in the world had he gotten so lucky? Reaching up, he pulled Renji's face down to his and put all his appreciation and love for the older man into the kiss they shared. This one was not as needy, but full of the love they shared for each other, leaving both of them breathless and smiling when they pulled apart.

When Renji went back down, he pushed Ichigo against the wall once more, but the boy hissed in pain. All of the adrenaline in Ichigo's body had started to leave, allowing him to feel the pain from his wounds once more. Renji immediately stepped back, hands hovering. "Damn, I forgot about your wounds." Grabbing Ichigo's arms, he turned the boy around and inhaled sharply when he saw the blood seeping through his robes. "We need to get you to squad four, now."

Ichigo guffawed, "It's not that bad Renji."

"Lose the damn pride Ichigo," Renji said with a scowl as he grabbed the orange-haired boy and flash stepped them both to the squad four barracks.

"Ichigo!" a happy voice shouted, startling them both as they came to a halt just outside squad four. "Lieutenant Abarai!"

The two boys looked around, and smirked when they spotted a small black haired boy running up to them. It was Hanataro. The clumsy boy halted in front of them, and pinched his brows together as he took in the blood on the front of Ichigo's robes. "You're injured again, Ichigo?" Hanataro said. "I have never seen anyone more prone to injury."

Ichigo glared at the boy. "Not my damn fault I get targeted so much," he said, crossing his arms.

"Would you see to his wounds Hanataro?" Renji asked, surprisingly polite for the red-head.

"Of course, Lieutenant Abarai," Hanataro said with a bow. "I'll have those wounds healed up in no time. Follow me Ichigo."

As Ichigo moved to follow the small boy, he was surprised when Renji did not follow. "Where you going?" Ichigo asked.

Renji winked at him. "Back to the house; I've got a few things to do and it's already getting late."

Slightly disappointed, Ichigo tried to hide his hurt as Renji turned and flash stepped away. Shaking it off, he followed Hanataro into the squad four barracks to get his wounds healed.


	10. We Found Love

**Warning: This chapter contains a lemon! Rated M for a reason.**

When Ichigo left the squad four barracks, all healed up, he headed back to the house he shared with Renji, still wondering why the red-head hadn't stayed with him. The walk back to the house in the dark was quiet and he met only two other soul reapers, ones he didn't recognize on the way. When he got back to the house, he walked inside and was shocked into silence at the meal laid out on the table, with a cocky looking Renji standing next to it wearing his feral grin.

"Well don't just stand there with your jaw hanging open, idiot," Renji said, "come eat."

Stumbling over, Ichigo sat down across from Renji and surveyed the extravagant meal in front of him. A roasted chicken sat in the middle, surrounded by bread, vegetables, and goblets of wine. "What's the occasion?" Ichigo asked curiously, as he and Renji filled their plates.

"Gotta make up for captain's ass-kicking today," Renji said seriously.

Ichigo stared for a moment, before letting out a scoff. "He did not kick my ass, I was just surprised that's all. I can take him any day."

Renji laughed softly, though not harshly. "You can when you are fit and in shape, but definitely not right now. Although who knows what your hollow could have done. He might have actually been able to beat Captain Kuchiki. I've never seen anything move so fast."

Ichigo shuddered, not wanting to think about that. ' _Tell him I appreciate his flattery,_ ' his hollow's voice said into his mind, startling him. ' _Don't be so surprised, your attraction to Abarai is in your soul, and I share your soul._ '

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Renji asked, noticing how Ichigo had suddenly stiffened.

"My hollow is talking to me," Ichigo said, surprising Renji. "He says he appreciates your comment."

A shocked expression remained on Renji's face for a moment before he grinned and winked. "Guess I've won over you hollow to, eh?"

Laughter erupted from the boy's chest as he felt the tension leave his body. ' _Yes... I like this one. Keep him around. Although you must let me out sometimes to play with him._ ' Ichigo wasn't too sure of how he felt about that one, but he truly believed his hollow shared his love for Renji; if hollows could love.

When the two finished eating, they cleaned up together before heading to the bedroom. Renji shut the door behind them before grabbing Ichigo and pulling him into a passionate kiss. He started when Renji pushed him gently and his back hit the wooden wall behind him, before he found himself staring up into cherry orbs, with two hands against the wall on either side of his face.

Ichigo could hardly believe that Renji felt the same way about him. His lips were mere inches from Renji's feral grin as the larger man pressed him against the wall. All of his desires whipped around in his head as he tried to grasp that they were about to be fulfilled. Desire coursed through his veins as his hands reached up and pulled the hair elastic out of Renji's hair. He all but moaned as the red hair cascaded down the man's shoulders, falling in silky waves that glistened in the low light. Ichigo ran his hands through the thick soft strands, earning him a moan from Renji.

As Ichigo brought his hands to trace the tattoos on Renji's brow, the older man looked into his eyes. "Renji-" Ichigo breathed, breath catching as Renji pulled him tighter to him in response. "Are you sure you want-"

He was silenced by hot lips pressing passionately against his own, and Ichigo opened his mouth willingly, allowing Renji's tongue access. The red-head holding Ichigo against the wall crushed their bodies together, grinding his hips into Ichigo's groin, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from the orange-haired boy. Renji grinned into the kiss, pressing himself harder onto Ichigo's present erection. The boy against him writhed in ecstasy as Renji deepened their kiss. Ichigo reached up and wound both of his hands into Renji's hair, using it to anchor him in place.

Renji suddenly lifted Ichigo up, hooking the smaller boy's legs around his waist before walking over and depositing Ichigo on the bed. Their lips remained locked as Renji crawled on top of the panting boy, keeping much of his weight on his elbow in order to not crush Ichigo.

The pair were entwined, grasping at each other as they quickly rid themselves of the obtrusive robes they wore. Ichigo clawed at Renji as the red head moved his hot lips down the side of his neck, kissing his throat gently before stopping to suck on the juncture where his neck met his shoulder. Soft moans escaped the boy as he tried to grind his hips to meet Renji's, only to find that the red-head was holding him down. Renji chuckled into his neck before moving down to kiss his chest.

"Renji..." Ichigo moaned. "Please, I- I need..." He got cut off as Renji began to run his fingers up and down, ghosting over the boy's inner thighs.

"What?" Renji asked, the feral grin back onto his face. "What do you need?"

"Fuck me," Ichigo panted out, bringing up his hips to no avail. The older man returned his lips to Ichigo's, still running his fingers between the boy's thighs. Ichigo broke away. "Stop teasing Renji."

Renji chuckled until he felt a hand reach down and grasp his manhood. Ichigo grinned as Renji sucked in a sharp breath, before Ichigo's hand slowly began to slide up and down, pumping slowly. "I-Ichigo..." Renji moaned. Ichigo's hand was then swatted away, causing the orange-haired boy to freeze. Had he done something wrong?

"Easy," Renji said as he gently kissed the boy. "This is your night, you lay back and leave me to the work tonight." Renji then reached over into the night stand and pulled out a bottle of lube. Placing some in his hand, he worked it onto his member before leaning back down to kiss Ichigo deeply, their tongues once more battling for dominance.

Ichigo felt Renji slide a finger into his tight opening, and he felt his body clamp automatically to the intrusion. "Relax, Ichigo," Renji said as he began to slowly pump the finger in and out. It wasn't uncomfortable but it was not exactly pleasant either for Ichigo. With their lips still locked, he let out a small yelp as a second finger was pressed into his entrance, and began scissoring. Once the third finger was in, it began to feel uncomfortable as they moved in and out. Yet when Renji removed his hand, the orange-haired boy felt disappointment, until Renji's member was at his opening.

"Ready?" Renji asked with concern hidden in his voice as he held his member up to Ichigo's tight entrance.

Ichigo nodded, not trusting his voice. Renji positioned himself and tried to enter as gently as possible into the tight heat. "Ichigo..." Renji moaned as he entered.

Ichigo on the other hand let out a pained yell as he tossed his head back and gripped the sheets. This would have been painful enough with anyone, but Renji was especially well endowed, and never stopped until he was in to the hilt. Leaning down, Renji kissed the boy, wanting him to relax so he could enjoy this. It was taking all of Renji's willpower not to fuck the boy into oblivion then and there. Staying as still as possible, he waited a few minutes until the boy said "move Renji, it's ok."

As Renji began to pull out, Ichigo threw back his head, exposing the pale flesh of his neck, moaning loudly as Renji pushed back in. Ichigo clawed at Renji's back, nails gently scrapping down the tattooed skin. The pressure encouraged Renji to go faster, as he began to pump at a steady fast pace. Reaching down, he grasped Ichigo's member and began to firmly pleasure the smaller Soul Reaper, satisfying Ichigo's hungry groans.

Their lips met again, crashing like waves on the rocks, a tangle of hips and legs riding back and forth, relentlessly in the tide. They grasped desperately at each other, tongues battling for dominance. With a groan, Renji slammed himself one last time into Ichigo, waves of pleasure washing over him as he spilled into his lover, moaning Ichigo's name. At the same time Ichigo spilled himself onto Renji's chest, shouting out "Renji," as he came.

Breathing hard, Ichigo's lips were captured by Renji's in a tender, yet passionate kiss as he pulled the orange-haired boy against his body. As they broke apart, Renji trailed hot, butterfly-light kisses over Ichigo's chest, running his tongue from jawline to collarbone. "I love you Renji," Ichigo whispered into the red-head's ear.

"I love you too, Ichigo," Renji said, as he lay back and pulled the smaller boy to his chest before tugging the covers over them. They remained in each other's arms that night, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	11. For Our Souls

Fingers traced up and down Ichigo's back as he lay on his stomach, feeling abnormally comfortable. At first he wondered where he was, until a dull ache in his hind quarters brought back the memories of yesterday. Eyes flying open, Ichigo turned to the body pressed against his own, and found himself eye to eye with Renji. "Morning," Renji said with a tired yawn, his long red hair disarrayed from last night. Ichigo couldn't believe how beautiful the man looked, even first thing in the morning.

A lazy smile spread across his face as he rolled onto his side to face Renji. "Morning," Ichigo said. "I don't want to get up."

Renji placed a gentle kiss on Ichigo's mouth, but pulled away just as the orange-haired boy tried to deepen it. Renji chuckled. "Come on, we have to meet Captain Kuchiki in an hour for your training."

Deep from his throat, Ichigo let out a groan as he tried to roll away from Renji and mash his face into the pillow, but found himself held against the warm body by strong tattooed arms. "I don't wanna get up either," Renji said as he buried his face in Ichigo's messy hair. "I just wanna lay here all day with you; that's much more appealing."

Ichigo blushed as he placed a kiss on Renji's chest. "You get in the shower; I'll make breakfast this morning."

A look of fear crossed Renji's face. "Can you cook? Or should I fear food poisoning?"

Ichigo slapped Renji's arm playfully. "Just wait and see," he whispered against Renji's ear, causing the older Soul Reaper to shudder. Taking the advantage, Ichigo jumped out of Renji's arms and climbed out of bed, stretching once. When he turned to look back at the red-head, he was surprised to see such a look of lust and desire in his eyes.

"That's quite the view," Renji said, indicating to Ichigo's very naked form.

A squeak came from Ichigo as he quickly through on a pair of pj bottoms before darting from the room, Renji's laughter echoing down the hallway as Ichigo ran into the kitchen. While the red-haired man climbed into the shower, Ichigo began to cook an extravagant breakfast of eggs, toast, waffles, bacon, and sliced up fresh fruit. So far, Renji had done all the cooking, and Ichigo wanted to do his share of the cooking. He just hoped Renji liked his cooking. While he wasn't super experienced, due to Yuzu doing most of the household cooking and baking back home, he wasn't completely hopeless in the kitchen.

By the time Renji was showered, dried, and dressed, Ichigo was just setting the table for them both. "Mmm," Renji said as he eyed Ichigo's shirtless form as he moved the food items from the counter and stove top to the table. "I see something I definitely want to sink my teeth into."

A shudder went down Ichigo's spine as he heard this, and he turned to look at the tall man standing before him. Renji's hair was loose and wet, cascading down his shoulders in a sexy way. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Ichigo just smirked as he finished setting the table. "Later," he chuckled. "Let's eat so then I can go shower and get ready."

"Later," Renji repeated, as he sat down and began to help himself to the food. As he began to eat, he turned to Ichigo in shock. "Damn, you can cook Kurosaki, gonna have to keep you around for a while."

Ichigo laughed softly as he ate, all the while watching Renji enjoying the food. It was amazing how wonderful it felt to watch someone you love enjoy something you cooked. As long as Renji would smile like that every day, Ichigo would be happy. When the meal was over, Ichigo stood up and began to clear away some of the plates. "No, no," Renji said, "you go shower and I'll clean this up so we won't be late."

"Right," Ichigo said, as he turned and walked into the bathroom. Stripping of the pj bottoms, he looked into the mirror Renji had hung on the wall above the sink. Bones still jutted out a bit, and his muscles were all but gone, making him cringe. How was Renji able to look at that with desire? He looked malnourished, tired, and weak. His ribs were clearly visible, and the skin sunk in slightly between them. Cheekbones stuck out, creating a haunting look to remain on his face. Turning away from the mirror in shame, he stepped into the shower and turned on the water, hoping to cleanse the image from his mind.

Once he was cleaned up, he stepped out of the shower and quickly rubbed his hair with his towel, before wrapping it around his waist. Opening the door, the steam left around him as he walked to the bedroom, and changed into his shinigami robes. It didn't go by un-noticed to him that he had to tie the clothes tighter then usual in order to keep them from falling off or open. He had a long way to go weight and muscle wise before he was back to his usual shape. With a long sigh, he strapped Zangetsu to his back and walked out to the front door where Renji stood waiting for him.

"Ready to go?" Renji asked as he pulled Ichigo to him and planted a firm, but gentle kiss to the shorter shinigami's mouth. Ichigo responded whole-heartedly, as he traced Renji's lips with the tip of his tongue. He was rewarded when Renji gasped, allowing Ichigo access to his mouth. The two kissed for a few short moments before they pulled apart.

"No, but let's go," Ichigo said, as Renji pulled open the door.

"Don't worry, it won't be that bad," Renji said gently as he looped an arm around Ichigo and guided the orange-haired boy to the squad six barracks.


	12. It Won't Be Easy

When Renji and Ichigo arrived at the main squad six building, Byakuya was already standing outside waiting for the two. As per usual, the captain wore his stoic expression as he watched his two subordinates approach. "Good morning, Captain Kuchiki," Renji said polietely. Ichigo did not know if he would ever get used to hearing Renji sound polite, but he guessed that everyone had to be formal with their captain.

"Morning, Captain," Ichigo said. In response, both men got a nod in acknowledgement.

"Renji," Byakuya said. "There is paperwork waiting for you on your desk. Go get started."

The red-head scowled but nodded. "Right away, captain," he said before turning and heaidng into the building with a solemn wave to Ichigo.

"You are to follow me to our training grounds, where we will commence the first part of your training to become skilled enough to live up to your title of 3rd seat." Ichigo nodded and followed the captain to a large empty field surrounded by the grey stone walls of the Sereitei. It did not escape his attention that there were several dents in the walls that looked suspiciously like somebody had been thrown into it.

"Defend yourself," his captain ordered. Ichigo barely had time to draw Zangetsu before Byakyta had reached him. The sound of clashing metal echoed as Ichigo slid back several feet from the shear force of Byakuya's stike. HIs knees buckled under his captain's strength. "You are weak."

Then Ichigo was on the defense, blocking blow after blow, as they hit his sword so hard he felt constant vibrations reverberate up his arms. Forced back, panic began to set in as he desperately tried to keep up with Byakuya's merciless blows. In the panic, his captain managed to get a hit in; a cut that ran from his shoulder to his elbow. The pain did not soothe the panic that had set in deep within his body.

Kisuke Urahara's words from a lesson long ago came to mind. "An important thing to remember is that in battle, there is no room for fear. You have to kill or be killed. Keep your mind calm and focused, and think your way through the fight." Taking a deep breath, in order to settle his panting, Ichigo relaxed his mind, trying to turn all of his attention towards the threat at hand. While his body was still weak, he was able to see Byakuya's moves more clearly, allowing him to more adequately defend himself.

For hours they sparred, Byakuya on the offence and Ichigo on the defence. Sweat poured down Ichigo's face, stinging his eyes as he blocked the never-ending attacks. His arms were lead, heavy and difficult to move. It took all of his will to lift his sword over and over again, in order to block the attacks that threatened to remove a limb or gut him. His knees wobbled, hardly able to hold himself up as Byakuya's sword reigned down on him in a series of brutal strikes. Thus why he was so grateful when his captain jumped back and sheathed his sword. "That is all for sword combat today. Go have lunch with Lieutenant Abarai and return in an hour to start you kido training."

"Yes sir, thank you," Ichigo said, sincerely thankful before bowing and turning around. His eyes widened in shock when he saw a grinning Renji leaning against one of the wooden beams. The red-head's smirk grew as he stood up straight and walked towards Ichigo.

"How long have you been here?" the panting shinigami asked as he grabbed his towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He was a bit embarrassed that he had not noticed Renji's arrival.

Reaching out, Renji grabbed Ichigo and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Only long enough to see the last few minutes of your fight with the Captain. You did really well."

Ichigo blushed. "Not in front of the cap-" When he turned around, Byakuya was gone.

"See," Renji chuckled before his voice turned to a whisper. "We're all alone." Leaning down, he claimed Ichigo's lips in a desperate kiss, urging the orange-haired boy to open them with his tongue. The two immediately were fighting for dominance; their tongues dancing together in an intricate dance. Ichigo pulled away first.

"Tonight," he said, "after I shower and don't stink like sweat."

"Oh you'll be sweaty tonight," Renji replied with a feral grin, "but for a whole other reason."

A scarlet blush immediately spread across Ichigo's cheeks as Renji grabbed his hand and pulled him to the common area where lunch was being served for the seated officers. Ichigo was so hungry that he did not even notice what he'd been given, as he sat down and immediately began to inhale the food.

"Let me see to that wound when we're finished," Renji said, indicating to the cut going down Ichigo's arm.

The orange-haired shinigami looked down; he'd forgotten all about it. It didn't even hurt really. "It's just a scratch, Renji."

"For my peace of mind then" the red-head responded before taking a bit of his food.

"Fine, whatever makes you happy," Ichigo said, before turning his attention back to his meal.

When Renji and Ichigo finished eating, the two boys went outside where Renji pulled a roll of gauze from his shirt. A loud laugh burst from Ichigo as he eyed the roll. "You keep gauze in your robes?" he chuckled as he swept at his eyes.

Renji looked at him seriously, tattooed brows pinching together slightly. "When Byakuya trains, he treats you like an enemy. This is just for minor wounds; usually people who train with the captain end up going to squad four for treatment."

At that, Ichigo sobered. Was he going to spend the next month getting beaten up and sliced up by his captain? That wasn't exactly how he had pictured his first month of being on an actual squad going. Also, had Byakuya gone easy on him today? As Renji untied his shirt and removed it from his shoulders, he absentmindedly shrugged out of it. The wound wasn't deep, but it went from the tip of his shoulder, and ended by the top of his elbow. It had bled profusely, and had soaked through his shirt and dried up unevenly around his arm. "I'll clean this up for you properly tonight," Renji said as he wrapped up Ichigo's arms with practiced fingers. Every time his fingers or his hand would brush against Ichigo's bare skin, the boy felt a shock shoot up his spine. "There, now come here."

Before Ichigo could blink, his lips were against Renji's. For once, the red-head kissed him so gently, and cupped the back of his head so tenderly, as if Ichigo would break under the slightest pressure. Reaching up, he grabbed onto Renji's haori and deepend the kiss, earning himself a moan from the older shinigami.

After a moment, Renji pulled back. "You better get going," he whispered. "You need to meet Captain Kuchiki in five minutes."

Ichigo nodded, before planting one more soft kiss on Renji's lips before turning and darting towards the training grounds. All the while, he wondered how he had gotten so lucky as to have such a magnificent person return his feelings of affection.


	13. Mistaken

Byakuya was already there when Ichigo arrived for his Kido training. A part of him was nervous for the new training; he could barely control his own spirit energy, let alone focus it into an attack or use it for healing purposes. Yet, he was eager for the ability, so that he would not always have to rely on the use of his zanpakuto. Who know, maybe he might event be half decent at Kido?

"Kido is a form of Soul Reaper combat based on advanced spells. These spells are produced using your spirit energy and they fall into two categories: Hado for direct attacks, and Bakudo for battle support. Kido spells are triggered by an incantation, as well as the focusing of one's spiritual pressure and energy," Byakuya stated, watching Ichigo with his emotionless expression. "I want you to learn the incantations for the Hado and Bakudo spells; Lieutenant Abarai will be able to assist you in this. Though, your formal training will take place with me, so you do not pick up any of Abarai's bad habits."

Ichigo nodded in understanding. He knew Kido was not one of Renji's stronger points, but rather Rukia who excelled in the spells. Perhaps later on he would find her for some tips.

"Using Kido is often something you will only use if the opponent is weak and does not require the use of your zanpakuto, or if for some misfortunate reason you are unable to use your zanpakuto. Never use kido against a strong opponent and expect to win without the use of your sword. Kido will not get yourself very far against an opponent who knows the spells."

"Repeat after me; O Lord, mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man, Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Hado 31!" A red ball of flame shot forth from Byakuya's outstretched hand, blasting into the target set up several yards away.

Moving into a sturdy stance, Ichigo mimicked Byakuya's position as he stretched his hand. Looking at the target, he began to gather his spirit energy. "O Lord, mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man, Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Hado 31!"

A massive ball of energy shot from Ichigo, pushing him backwards a few steps. He watched in shock as the ball completely pummeled the target and hit the wall behind it. "Perhaps, a little less spirit energy. You are going to drain yourself quickly doing that, but not bad for first try."

A smile appeared on Ichigo's face.

x.x.x.x

The remainder of the week went by much the same; intense training and learning, as well as getting to know the members of his squad. His relationship with Renji continued to develop, their love for one another growing with each passing day. Come one late evening, Renji and Ichigo were getting dressed to go to the bar. They opted out of wearing their regular shinigami robes, and decided to wear human clothing. Renji wore blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket, while Ichigo wore dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black hoodie; all of which Renji had purchased earlier that day.

"I don't know if I can let you go out like that," Renji said as he looked the orange-haired shinigami up and down with lust in his eyes.

"Look who's talking," Ichigo said as he licked his lips, drawing Renji's eyes to them immediately. "You should wear those jeans more often, but only around me."

The two men eyed each other and were about to reach out, when someone knocked on the door. A growl, low and deep, erupted from Renji's chest. "Must be Ikkaku and Yumichika. Come on, let's go."

Walking out to the front door, Renji pulled it open and grinned at his two friends. "You guys ready or what? Rangiku's going to be there tonight," Ikkaku said with a wicked grin.

The two squad eleven members knew of Renji and Ichigo's relationship, as did most of the Sereitei, and surprisingly the were alright with it; if not even happy for the pair.

"Yeah," Renji said. "Let's get going before the place gets too packed."  
The bar was located by the squad eleven barracks, and it only took a few minutes to get too. Once inside, Ichigo inhaled sharply. All over the large room were women and men dancing and drinking. Those who danced were being extremely vulgar or sensual, and it cause a blush to begin to creep up Ichigo's neck. Turning, he looked at the bar where soul reapers were chugging from large mugs. He had never been to a bar before, and he felt himself start to get nervous; he did not want to look like a total newbie in front of Renji. Despite his attempt to remain calm, Renji immediately picked up on it and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Let's go get a drink."

Yumichika was already at the bar, and managed to flirt four jars of sake for them so they did not have to wait in the line. As they all sat down at the counter, the three guys immediately began to down theirs, while Ichigo looked at his questioningly. Taking an experimental gulp, he was pleasantly surprised at the taste, until it burned its way down his throat. It took all his will power not to start coughing then and there, as he felt Renji's eyes on him. "Never had a drink, have you?" Renji asked, already having finished his mug.

Ichigo blushed crimson and shook his head, feeling self-conscious under the three men's stares. "You ain't never had a drink before?!" Ikkaku all but shouted as he chugged down the remainder of his drink. "Renji, you cradle robber!"

Renji spluttered but before he could comment, Ichigo punched Ikkaku square in the jaw. "You can't drink in the human world when you're my age, chrome dome."

Ikkaku rubbed his jaw. "I forgot about that." Looking up, he waved at the bartender. "Another round!"

Immediately three more mugs were slid in front of Yumichika, Renji, and Ikkaku. Yumichika turned to him as he took a gulp from his new mug. "I am not one for drinking myself, so don't listen to Ikkaku. They'll be the ones nursing the hangover in the morning." Ichigo nodded and took another sip from his jug, watching Renji as he chugged his second mug in seconds. The red-head slammed the mug down and waved for another.

An hour later, Ichigo managed to choke down the last of his first mug, while Renji and Ikkaku finished their seventh. Both men were flushed, and their eyes were hooded and had bags underneath them. Currently, Ikkaku and Renji were stumbling around the dance floor, while Ichigo and Yumichika talked with Rangiku, who had arrived moments earlier.

Rangiku was talking about something insignificant, when her face turned pale and her mouth gapped open. Turning around to see what was wrong, Ichigo looked over his shoulder and felt his mouth go dry and all the blood leave his face. Renji was face deep in a tall woman's breasts. Tears rushed forth in Ichigo's eyes. Jumping up, he fled from the bar, hearing Rangiku and Yumichika calling after him.

Running aimlessly, the tears pooled over his cheeks, spilling onto his t-shirt. How could Renji do that? Did he not love him anymore? Did he never truly love him? Or was he sick of him already? Perhaps he had just been some new toy for the red-head; easily disposable when something better came along. Who was he kidding, that woman was gorgeous, and he would always be that quirky, lanky kid with orange hair. Stumbling around blindly, he got lost in the maze that was the Sereitei.

Over an hour later, he was still walking around the dark when a hand shot out and grabbed his arm. At first he thought it was Rangiku or Yumichika, or even Renji, but when he turned around it was the last person he expected to see. It was Yoruichi. "Ichigo," the woman said, sadness clear in her voice.

"Yoruichi, what are you doing here?" he asked, wiping away any evidence of the tears left on his cheeks. The woman regarded him with what looked like pity, and he resented it.

"Come with me," she said, and flash stepped away. Sighing, Ichigo followed her.

When they finally stopped, it was in front of a massive brown gate. Bright white light shone through it, but no matter how hard he tried to look, he couldn't see what was on the other side. "This is the gate to the human world, that the soul reapers use to go back and forth. Go visit your family."

"I can't just leave," he said. "I have duties here."

Yoruichi shook her head. "I've already spoke with Byakuya." In her hands, she held a set of his robes and Zangetsu, which she passed to him. "This is your first independent mission. Hollows are surfacing, and you are to take care of them as they show up."

"Why are you doing this? And how do you know what is going on?"

Yoruichi smiled softly. "Renji got pushed into that woman by Ikkaku; you just caught him at an unfortunate moment. I'm giving you time to cool off and Renji time to sober up so that your relationship doesn't get damaged."

Ichigo felt hope swell in his chest, but he shook it off. "Thanks Yoruichi," he said before turning and running through the gate, back into the human world.


End file.
